


i'll never apologize for loving you

by beware_of_you



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: BAU family fluff, Emily and Henry have a heart to heart, Emily as usual is a supportive gf, Emily can't cook, Emily influences Michael, Emily is actually the best girlfriend, Emily with kids!!, Emily with kids?? Emily with kids, Emily's favorite movie is Deadpool change my mind i dare u, F/F, Garcia says gay rights, Help, Henry is a Dr Who nerd, Henry is an angel, Homophobia, I do what I want, I guess homophobia isn't a valid warning tag, JJ goes all momma bear, JJ has a p bad panic attack, JJ healing?? it's what she deserves, JJ loves her family sm, JJ's a hardcore Mr Rogers stan, JJ's parents actually suck, Luke is 100 percent the best, Luke is a great friend, Matt is a great ally, Michael babbles most of the time, Protective JJ!!, Queen momma bear, Reid is a nerd, Reid with kids?? Reid with kids, Rossi is ultimate dad, She goes off, She's actually the best, Soft Emily!!, Thanks Food Network x, Trans Character, Yes Henry and Garcia are vegetarians, adding that as warning just in case, and Emily is the best girlfriend, brief mentions of JJ's parents being dicks, but Emily and co. saves the day, but briefly - Freeform, but briefly mentioned, but he's valid, but she can follow recipes, don't mess with her kids or Emily, everyone's so supportive of her it hurts, homophobia is a bitch, honestly this was just super fluffy, it's actually so adorable, like... bad, little family fluff, seriously the last chapter is pure BAU family fluff, she loves those kids so much it makes my heart hurt, she said daniel tiger has no rights, she's sick of her parents bs, well there's homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beware_of_you/pseuds/beware_of_you
Summary: the three times JJ's family ruins the holidays (because homophobia) and the three times Emily is there to fix it
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 36
Kudos: 393





	1. Cannolis, Cuddles and Keeping Up With the Kardashians

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know why I picked Thanksgiving but I did anyway oops

"I could... tell her my car won't start! ...But then she might send her driver to come pick me up anyway... "Sorry, Mother, I can't come over. Sergio got _really_ sick!" The tinkling of a bell and the loud meow that sounds over the speakers causes a giggle to slip past Jennifer Jareau's lips.

A long, hard and exasperated sigh. "Yeah, way to keep up the act there, _Serg_ ," Emily Prentiss immaturely grumbles to her cat on the other end of the line.

"Baby, I don't see what the big deal is," JJ says, hands tapping light against the wheel and staring straight ahead at the road instead of the phone hooked up to the vents so she can talk on the device hands free. "You can last a few hours with your mother. Besides, I thought you guys have had a better relationship ever since she helped us solve that kidnapping case in Baltimore?"

"We _have_ and it's been a lot better since..." Emily pauses with a sigh, knowing JJ of all people would understand what she was going to say. "But it's _weird_ for her to ask me to come over, especially on a _holiday!_ I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone..."

"So weird that your mother wants to see you, her only child, on a normal family holiday," JJ teases, pressing on her breaks and crawling to a stop due to the red light coming up.

"It _is!_ Ambassador Prentiss _doesn't do_ holidays, much less family ones like Thanksgiving!"

"She's trying, Em. That's all you've ever asked from her," the blonde reminds her girlfriend gently, but firmly.

Another sigh. "I know... I know... I just... I wish I was still going with you to your parents like we talked about..."

JJ eased up on the break with a sympathetic smile. "I know," she murmurs in understanding.

It's not like _today_ was exactly easy for her either, honestly.

Will had the boys and had taken them down to New Orleans to visit his mother for the holidays. Despite greatly respecting the 50/50 custody agreement the two had come upon without the stresses of a strenuous custody case in court, she hadn't really anticipated just how much holidays like this would affect her. She feels the weight of missing her children more than she normally would. It's like her stomach is filled with lead, the more maternal side of her aching for her boys to be spending the holidays by her side.

She wants nothing more than to have her girlfriend of nearly six months by her side during the Thanksgiving festivities, especially since she would be just the type of distraction she needs from missing the boys.

They've always been close, but recently, they've become almost inseparable. They work together as partners in the field more often than not, they spend most, if not all, their free time together, and they'll even go to each other's homes on a semi regular basis.

It's almost an easy routine at this point.

When Will has the boys, JJ stays over at Emily's for the week, and when he doesn't, Emily and Sergio come over to her place.

The older agent has become her rock, someone there to focus all her energy on, rather than spend most of it moping around and missing her sons. The boys absolutely adore Emily just about as much as they love her cat (who tolerates Michael's babbling and grabby fingers with the patience of a saint and spends most of his time cuddled up next to Henry).

Emily's become such an important person in her life, in the boys' lives, so quickly it makes her head spin in the best of ways. She fit effortlessly into her routine, had always been so good with the boys even before they were made aware of the nature of their relationship (which they easily accepted and adjusted to, much to JJ's _relief_ ).

Some days, she wonders how she got so lucky to have someone so understanding, so accepting of her and the baggage she comes with.

( _Emotional, traumatic baggage_ , she means, not the fact she's a mother. She's been adamant from day one that her sons always come first in her life, something the older agent _always_ agreed on. She would never make JJ put her needs over those of her children.)

The point is Emily's an important person in her life, plain and simple, and she wanted to make the other important people in her life [her parents, mainly] aware of that. She wanted them to know that she was happy, that she had found someone that deeply cares about her and her children as much as they do her.

So, when Emily told her that her mother had called and wanted her daughter to spend the day at her mansion, JJ would be lying if she said she weren't just a _little_ disappointed. But she encouraged Emily to go, insisting she would be just fine by herself with her folks.

Snapping herself from her daze and smiling bit more genuinely, she continues, "But I'll have the boys for Christmas. We'll invite them over, then."

Seemingly perked up by this suggestion, Emily agrees. "That's true. Okay, fine, I'll deal with my mother for a few hours."

"If it goes well, invite her for Christmas," JJ suggests, glancing up the road. "I'm almost there."

"Yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, babe. We'll consider today a win if I come back in one piece," Emily scoffs lightly.

"Just behave yourself, okay? I'll be home by tomorrow evening at the latest," the younger agent promises, glancing down at the dashboard to briefly check the gas meter. She's nearly on empty, but had planned to ride it out and stop by for some gas before she headed home.

She'd be fine for now.

"I'll have you know I'm the best behaved person I know!"

Stiffing another laugh by biting her lip, JJ rolls her eyes. "Michael acts better than you most days, Em."

She laughs at the sputtering that comes from her girlfriend on the other end of the line. "That's not even fair to compare me to someone that's not even two!"

"Not helping your case," JJ teases.

"Yeah, yeah," Emily mumbles immaturely before sighing softly. "I better go get ready. Call me before you get ready to come home, okay?"

"I will," the younger agent promises. "Try to enjoy yourself, okay? I'll see you soon."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow evening at the latest," the younger agent confirms.

"Okay, have fun, beautiful. Drive safe."

After saying her own goodbyes, JJ presses the red button on the screen to end the call, turning off onto another street and started to head out towards the countryside. She feels the familiar ping of nostalgia build in her chest as her car bumps around the unsteady terrain, the fresh smell of lilacs and freshly mowed grass swim through the open window.

It's even more familiar to her when she pulls up to her parents farm house and sees at least a dozen cars parked all along in the grass. Her family was quite _sizable_ , so she had honestly expected this much of a turnout ( _and_ had prepared herself for the questions she'd surely get about Will and the kids).

It's honestly not as bad as she had expected.

As soon as she walks through the door, she's greeted with a warm hug from her mother and a kiss from her father, who's booming voice greets her over the commotion that's going on in the house that's crammed wall to wall with people and filled with the glorious aromas of delicious food.

She's not bombarded with any pesky questions from anyone in her family (not even her Aunt Theresa, whose notorious for her obsession with gossip). She's greeting every family member with a smile, nodding politely when they talk her ear off about their lives. By the time the food is ready, her jaw hurts from smiling and, despite this scene being the norm during the holidays while she grew up, she's feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people she's been interacting with for the past few hours.

She's starting to feel like she's back in her media liaison days.

She ends up sitting in the corner of the living room with her younger cousin, Charles, who reminds her so much of Reid with his soft, big brown eyes, tousled hair and sweet, but quiet demeanor. He doesn't talk much, which JJ is thankful for, but when he does, it's a genuine comment or a quick witted joke that brings an actual smile for her face.

When dinner ends, she ends up outside with her small second cousin, Abigail, who's just a few years older than Michael.

They go around the spacious yard and pick wildflowers while Abigail talks on and on about whatever comes to her head. The young girl gets absolutely ecstatic when JJ weaves her a flower crown, wearing it proudly on her head just above her pigtails. She finds it almost heartbreakingly _adorable_ when the girl curls up against her as the hours tick by and nearly falls asleep before she has to go.

At the same time, it makes her heart clench. It makes her _really_ start to miss her boys, especially since the gesture is so familiar to her because Michael or Henry would have done the same thing.

By the time her parents house is nearly empty, she's been washing dishes and cleaning up the leftovers in an attempt to draw her attention away from her boys. She _really_ wants to call Emily, to hear her voice so that the brunette can calm her down, maybe distract her from the boys, but resists.

She'll see Emily tomorrow, she reasons with herself. She can rely on herself for a couple more hours.

She turns when she feels her mother's familiar hands on her shoulders. "Honey, you don't have to do them. Your father and I will get those later."

Blinking herself out of her trance, she turns to her mother with a soft smile. "It's okay, it's not taking up much of my time," she insists.

Giving her shoulders a squeeze, her mother tuts, "Oh, Jen, really. You don't do enough of this at home?" Chuckling softly with a shake of her head, she continues, "Come on out in the living room. We're having your Grandma Mary's pumpkin pie and watching the game."

Instead of arguing that Emily takes on 50% of the household chores and outing her relationship on the spot, JJ turns her head slightly towards her mother. "Who's playing?"

"Oh, you know I don't pay too much attention to that sort of stuff. That was always more of you and your father's thing," the older woman says with a wave of her hand.

Smiling with a shake of her head, JJ finally relents and stops doing the dishes. "Okay, okay, but only because I haven't gotten the chance to annoy you both today," she says with a grin, bending down to allow her mother to kiss the side of her head.

"Oh, dear, you never annoy us," her mother swears, rubbing her daughter's side comfortingly. "How are you doing today, sweetheart?"

"I'm... adjusting," JJ settles on, sighing softly. "It's been hard without them, and I do really miss them, but I'm managing. Besides, I'm glad Will took them down to visit his mom to spend some time with her." At the older woman's curious look, she elaborates, "It's coming up on the anniversary of his father's passing. It's always difficult for her."

Tutting, her mother finally releases her and goes by her father on the couch, "Well, bless her heart."

"You get them for Christmas?" her father questions as she takes a seat on the recliner just across from the couch.

Exhaling with a nod, JJ smiles slightly. "Yeah, this year. Next year it'll flip-flop, so I'll get them for Thanksgiving, he'll get them for Christmas, that way it's fair for us both. It's an adjustment for everyone, but we're making it work as best we can."

"And that's all you can do," her father assures her with a smile. He hands her a paper plate with a thin slice of pumpkin pie. "The boys seem okay otherwise?"

Bringing up her legs and crossing them up on the chair, JJ balances the plate in her lap and gratefully takes a fork from her mother. She knows her parents only get to see the boys for maybe a few hours every other week since the divorce. Naturally, they would be curious about how they're adjusting. After all, there's not a whole lot they could gather from only a couple of hours.

"They're good," JJ says genuinely. "They're both incredibly adjusted incredibly well to the routine. Though, I think at times they prefer my house over Will's because of the cat," she admits with a light chuckle, taking a bite of the pie.

"You got a cat?"

She swallows her bite quickly, surprised by the question before she realizes her slip up.

Well, shit. She was hoping to tell them as the conversation flowed, easily switching topics like, " _I was hoping you guys could come over to my place for Christmas. There's someone I want you guys to meet._ " Or something along those lines.

But, this works, too, she supposes.

"Um," she wipes her mouth with a napkin before clearing her throat. "No, um... I'm seeing someone," she admits, a tiny smile coming to her face.

Her father chuckles, "Ah, so it's _his_ cat!", and mother's face lights up with a smirk. "I _knew_ it! I could tell! You're glowing, Jennifer! Oh, I would love to meet him!"

JJ carefully sets her plate and fork down, and folds her hands together. She had to admit, it was a bit nerve wracking to say that she was dating a woman when Emily wasn't by her side, offering her some support. But she figures her parents would accept it after they digested the information for a few minutes. After all, it _had_ been a while since she had dated a woman (since college, she recalls).

"Well, you guys have sort of met them already," she starts out, leaning her elbows on her knees.

"Is it someone on your team? Is it that Reid boy?" her mother guesses with a smirk. "I'll have to admit, Jennifer, he's quite the looker."

Resisting the urge to cringe (she sees Spence as a little brother, nothing less and certainly not anything more), she shakes her head with a light laugh. "No, no it's not Spence. He's like a little brother to me," she admits. "He's always been to me." A brief pause. "You guys remember Emily Prentiss, right?"

The name does seem to ring a bell to her parents, but they both frown in confusion. "Did she, uh, introduce you to a man we know?" her father asks.

"No." JJ wrings her hands together with a huge sigh and smiles lightly. "Um... I've been seeing her for a while now," she admits with a smile that naturally comes about when she talks about Emily. She can't help herself most times; she really cares about the older agent. It warms her heart that she can say for certain that Emily cares the same way about her and the boys. Hell, JJ thinks she would go as far as to admit to herself that she loves her.

Her parents fall silent, and the smiles on their faces have vanished.

A heavy, long silence follows.

"So... uh... you've been seeing a woman?" her mother questions, pushing a piece of her pie around on her plate with her fork. "You left Will for a woman?"

"Yes," JJ says, now feeling a bit more confident now that she's gotten it all out. She tucks a piece of hair around her ear with a genuine smile. "And, it doesn't work like that. I fell for her, mom. I fell for her hard. I... really care about her," she confesses. "She's a really important person in my life."

"Uh...huh," her father says just as slowly, setting his own plate down on the coffee table with a sigh. "How serious is this relationship?"

Slightly stunned by the nature of his question, JJ frowns slightly with a chuckle. "Uh... we've been seeing each other for almost six months now, so I would say it's pretty serious...?" A brief pause. "Why... are you guys being weird about this? I came out to you both in college," she points out.

Sitting back on the couch with a grunt, her father waves his hand in the air. "Well, Jen, it's... it's natural for people to experiment in college. When you brought over that girl back then, we just figured it was your way of experimenting."

Sitting up straighter, JJ clears her throat with a frown. "It... was serious back then, and it's serious now. I'm bisexual," she says confidently. "I like men, and I like women the same way I like men."

"Stop!" her mother says harshly, putting her plate down on the table with an audible thud. "It's completely fine for you to have done this in college. You were _young_ , you didn't know what you wanted then! You're 36 years old, Jennifer, you're a mother, you work for the government for crying out loud! It's long past time you grow out of this childish phase!"

Now completely shocked, JJ's mouth falls open. Her heart is starting to pound, and her hands are starting to shake from her nerves. She exhales slowly to compose herself, daring to look her parents in the eyes. "I am serious. This _is_ who I am."

"Did you ever consider the consequences your perversions would have on the boys?" her mother demands.

JJ's blood runs cold, and she swears her heart stops. Her mouth goes dry, her hands clench onto each other so hard, her knuckles go white. "Excuse me?"

"Jennifer, this type of... behavior could seriously impact your sons," her father adds in.

Standing up abruptly, JJ smoothes her hands over the front of her shirt and exhales shakily. "Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Henry, all I wanted to do was to protect him. And it's been the same with Michael," she starts off lowly, her voice teetering on malicious.

"Everything I do in my life, I do for them. Ever since they have come into my life, I have done nothing but love them, care for them, and protect them with every fiber of my being. Nothing I do in my life, and I mean _nothing_ I do is ever done to hurt them or harm them in any way, shape, or form. I'm not going to let someone get close to my boys if I didn't trust them a 110%. Emily Prentiss has been there for me since the very first day she joined the BAU. She has put her life on the line for myself and everyone on the team more times than I can reasonably count. She's dropped everything for me several times over. She's saved my life on multiple occasions. She was there for me in one of the darkest, most terrifying moments of my life. She trusts me. She _respects_ me. I trust her with my entire _fucking_ life."

"The boys _adore_ her. She cooks for them, she cleans after them, she cares for them, she takes them to games, to school, and to doctors appointments as much as I do. She treats my children as if they are her very own. She cares about those boys deeply, and they care a lot about her. I'm not going to sit here and let you both _shit_ on her when you know nothing about what she does for those boys, or how she interacts with them. I'm not going to stand here and let you shit on me for something that is beyond my control. And I sure as _hell_ am not going to stay and listen to you both insinuate that I'm putting my boys in harm's way by simply being with a _woman_."

She storms over to the table and grabs her keys, turning back to her shocked and angry parents. "Accept me or don't, but you _don't_ get to tell me with good intentions that I'm hurting my children and doing wrong by them. If you got your bigoted heads out of your asses for a few seconds, you'd be able to see that."

And with that, she slams the door and walks out to her car, peeling away from her parents house.

No one follows her.

As she moves further and further down the road, her breathing becomes more erratic, more labored. Her eyes start to water, her whole body is wracking with tremors and her chest is starting to constrict so tightly, she's finding it hard to breathe.

She recognizes all the signs as the beginnings of a panic attack.

Rolling down both her front windows and grasping the collar of her shirt with one hand, she struggles to calm herself down. She pulls off to the side of whatever road she turned down and shuts off her car, gasping for breath. Bringing her knees to her chest, her hands roam around frantically until she grips her phone.

She presses the top power button on her phone in rapid succession, the other hand desperately grasping in her hair as she waits for her emergency contact to pick up. Her lips lick her chapped lips nervously, a whimper escaping her throat as the phone rings.

"Hey, I'm sorry! I left my phone downstairs," Emily answers sheepishly.

"How is..." She pauses when she hears JJ's panicked, insistent breathing. "Jayje?"

"Em, I... I need," the blonde hiccups through her sobs, counting softly in her head to control herself.

"Are you still at your parents' house?" Emily questions in concern, her keys jingling in the background.

"I... I don't... I just... I needed to get out of there," JJ explains in quick gasps, another round of sobs causing her body to shake violently in the seat.

"Do you know where you are?" The sound of a door closing and a car starting.

"I'm nearly out of gas. I didn't pay attention. I wanted to get out of there," the blonde croaks. "I don't... I don't..."

Swearing gently under her breath, Emily exhales softly into the receiver. "Stay right where you are. I'm going to get Garcia to ping your cell's location and I'll be there as quick as I can, okay?"

"Don't go!" JJ hiccups, not even caring at the moment how small, how childish she sounded. Emily's voice was the only thing calming her nerves at the moment.

"Shh," Emily coos calmly to her. "It's okay. It's okay, _amor_. I'm staying right on the line with you," she swears. "I texted her."

"Talk to me," JJ whimpers softly. "About anything. Please... I just... I need to hear your voice..."

A brief pause.

"Thanksgiving with Mother wasn't as bad as I thought," Emily starts off with a slight chuckle. "It was weird. She was acting almost civil with me. I stayed for a few hours and we talked... a lot. It was nice," she admits softly before pausing again.

There's a notification bell sounding off on the other end of the line.

"Okay, Garcia's got your location and sent it to me," Emily informs her girlfriend. "I'll be there in twenty minutes, I swear."

Continuing to steady her breathing and slowly counting in her head, JJ nods wordlessly. She curls up in her seat, wiping her face with her palms. "You'll stay on the line?"

"The entire time," Emily reassures her.

The next hour or so seems like a blur to JJ.

She barely remembers what Emily talked about on her way to her location. She just manages to spot Luke Alvez step out of the passenger's seat when Emily pulls up and wraps her arms around her waist. She vaguely recalls Emily saying that she had given Luke her card, and that their teammate had volunteered to drive JJ's SUV back to the unit chief's apartment.

And then she was in Emily's car, leaning her head on her girlfriend's shoulder before exhaustion overwhelms her and and falls asleep.

When she wakes up again, she's on Emily's couch in one of her girlfriend's hoodies.

The brunette is over by the door, profusely thanking Luke for his help before she turns back to the blonde.

Slowly sinking down next to her the couch, she places a comforting hand on the younger woman's knee. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks softly, rubbing reassuring circles on her girlfriend's skin.

JJ shakes her head, leaning into her girlfriend's embrace. She closes her eyes briefly when Emily presses her lips to the younger woman's head.

"Okay, that's fine. You don't have to now, or ever, if you don't want to," Emily starts quietly, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's frame. "I love you so much, and you mean the world to me. I admire what you do each and every single day so much and am so proud of you for it."

"I love you," JJ replies hoarsely, but just as quietly, as genuinely as Emily had. She lifts her head slightly when she spots a small takeout box on the table in front of them. "What's that?"

"Cannolis from Nino's," Emily replies with a slight smile, brushing a strand of hair behind JJ's ears when she looks up to the brunette in surprise— they were her favorite pastry _and_ they were from her favorite bakery in town.

"I got them to surprise you with tomorrow but... I figured tonight definitely called for some," she explains softly, pressing a kiss to JJ's temple. "And uh... if you're feeling up for it, I did go ahead and pre-record a few episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

"The Kardashians?" JJ repeats with a confused look.

"You said once that it was the show you watched to because it was so exaggerated that it really allowed you to just escape the realities of the outside world," Emily recalls with a gentle smile.

"You really remembered all of that?" JJ asks softly, awestruck by her girlfriend's dedication to make her feel better.

"Of course I did," Emily answers sincerely. "Tonight is all about you and your favorite things, gorgeous: cannolis, cuddling, and the Kardashians."

JJ presses her lips to her girlfriend's gratefully, overwhelmed by the simple, yet kind gesture. "I love you. Thank you," she murmurs softly. Sitting pressed up against the woman she loves with some of her favorite things in the world, JJ can't help but feel just the tiniest bit better.

Pressing one more kiss to the top of the blonde's head, Emily wraps her arm around JJ's waist and grabs the take out box. "I love you too," she simply responds, covering them both up with a blanket.

They snuggle close together with a small cannoli each as they're sucked away from the realties of the day and into the over exaggerated world of the Kardashian/Jenner clan.


	2. Alton Brown's Pumpkin Pie and That Stupid Animated Tiger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jjxemily family fluff? jjxemily family fluff
> 
> (heavy angst ahead, sorry x)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> friendly reminder to anyone in similar situations that you don't owe the people who raised you anything, especially if they don't don't approve a life that you're happy with and no one is getting harmed. your identity, whether sexual or gender, is valid and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise x

"Momma! Momma!"

JJ turns away from the stove, arms open as she easily catches the toddler making a beeline for her. She blows a raspberry on his cheek, grinning when he giggles and squirms in her hold. She adjusts him in his arms, looping one arm sturdily around his frame as his legs go around her waist and his tiny arms loop around her neck to support himself.

"Well, look at you!" she gasps in surprise, pulling away to take in Michael's outfit. He's in a simple light blue button up shirt, a light brown vest over top and simple brown pants. He's wearing his light up sneakers on his feet, and a tiny little fedora the same shade as his vest sits on top of his head. With the fancy little outfit he's wearing, Michael looks like he stepped right out of a clothing catalogue.

She smooths the hair at the back of his head and kisses his cheek. "My, you look handsome!"

"Lookie!" the toddler says eagerly, proudly showing her the bowtie loosely looped through his button down. It's a checkered pattern tie, various shades of orange and brown complimenting the rest of his outfit just perfectly.

"Is that a little bowtie? Did you tie that all by yourself?" JJ teases the two year old playfully, tickling his sides with another grin.

"Uh-uh," Michael squeals through his giggles, laughing happily in his mother's arms.

JJ finally stops tickling her son, giving him another kiss on his cheek with a knowing smile. "Emily tied it for you?"

Michael shakes his head with a wide smile. "No, momma, not Emmy!"

Just as she's about to ask her son who _did_ tie the bow tie, Henry comes running into the kitchen, his outfit matching Michael's almost exactly. The only difference is his black tie, vest and hat and the checkered Converse on his feet. "Mom, guess what?" he asks excitedly.

Without waiting for her to answer, the nine year old holds out the bowtie around his neck towards his mother proudly. "Emily taught me how to do it and then she let me tie this one _and_ Mikey's all by myself!"

"No _way_!" JJ exclaims with as much enthusiasm as her child is showing, grinning proudly at him. She briefly looks up at Emily, who comes up behind her oldest and lays a hand supportively on his back.

She's dressed casually in a nice red sweater and black dress pants, something more laid back than her normal work attire, but still more proper than her "lounge around outfits". "He's a natural," she says fondly. "Picked up the knot in no time flat."

Henry grins up at the older woman before turning back to his mother. "I look just like the Doctor!" he tells JJ proudly, referring to the 11th doctor from the BBC sci-fi drama Dr. Who.

He had been religiously watching the show with Emily for a few years now (and his "Uncle Spence" every now and again). It was one of the many things the brunette and the older child bonded over, sharing an equally nerdy, yet passionate enthusiasm for the show.

JJ had, on more than one occasion, walked in on the two cuddled up on the couch in their pajamas, two sets of eyes glued excitedly on the television as the action unfolds on the screen. She's convinced that it's one of the best sights in the world, comparatively better than any of the Seven Wonders of the World combined.

[Michael had a particular fondness of watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood with Emily because JJ _refuses_ to expose the toddler to the "abysmal animated remake with that damn tiger", much to the amusement of the brunette.

Michael is absolutely fascinated with the impressions Emily does of the puppets and the fact she knows the words to all the songs the cheery old man sings. Another one of JJ's favorite sights is seeing her toddler in the lap of the woman she loves as she sings softly along to the opening theme of the show, his little hand grasped firmly around her finger, his giggles so infectious it never fails to bring a smile to JJ's face.

Collectively as a family, the quadruple share a passion for Disney and super hero films (the films JJ deems appropriate for the children, of course).

Rewinding after a tough case or a long day at the office with her two boys and Emily on the opposite side of her watching a cheesy, colorful movie they all end up singing along to or Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse for the umpteenth time is undoubtedly one of the greatest treasures in life.

JJ wouldn't trade those moments for anything in the world.]

Henry bounces on his toes enthusiastically, his eyes shining with glee. "Can I call Uncle Spence on FaceTime and show him?" he asks.

"Not today, buddy. He's visiting with his mom." Smoothing out his long blonde hair as an assurance, JJ smiles softly. "Tell you what, as soon as Spence gets back from visiting his mom, we'll invite him over so the three of you can nerd out on a Dr Who marathon, okay?"

Henry doesn't even look disappointed that he can't call Reid right now, his eyes lighting up at the proposal eagerly. "Deal!" he agrees quickly. He pauses for a second, peering around his mother to look at the stove while standing on his tiptoes. "Can I mash the potatoes?" He flexes his arm for her with a wide smile. "I'm _really_ strong!"

JJ smiles wide at her oldest child, free hand on her hip. "Well, I do need someone _really_ strong to mash out all the lumps," she says playfully, bending down to kiss Henry's forehead before gesturing over to the sink with her rubber spatula. "Go ahead and wash your hands."

She turns to the toddler in her arms, blowing another raspberry on his cheek. "Now, what job are we going to give you, mister?" she asks over Michael's giggles.

"This cutie is going to help me set the table," Emily insists, taking Michael from JJ's arms carefully when she holds him out for her, tickling his sides with a wide grin. "It's a _super_ important job," she adds in, smiling over at her girlfriend.

"Oh, well then by all means, you two get to it," JJ says just as playfully, planting a kiss on both of their cheeks before Emily walks out to the dining room with the toddler in her arms.

The atmosphere is domestic and peaceful, giggles coming from the dining room from an excited Michael and Henry carefully and meticulously mashing the potatoes. His hair is tied behind his back in a long ponytail, his face focused with intense concentration, a small frown of determination appearing between his brows as he starts to mash the potatoes. JJ takes a break from the oven for a moment and helps him start, kissing the top of his head before readjusting his hat neatly. "You boys call your dad today?"

"Uh-uh," Henry shakes his head, adding the pre-measured cream, butter and roasted garlic into the potatoes. He's able to mash them easier now, is making sure that no lumps remain in the mix. "Not yet."

"When you're done, why don't you and Michael go ahead and FaceTime him?" JJ suggests, turning the knob on the oven to warm and allowing the turkey inside to rest.

Henry nods his head in acknowledgment, smiling wide. "I can show him that I can tie a bowtie!" he says happily, grabbing the salt and pepper shakers near by. He shakes in the seasonings, giving the potatoes one more generous mashing and stir. He proudly presents the bowl to JJ, who gives him another kiss as praise. "Good job, buddy!"

"Can I go call dad now?" he asks.

"Uh-huh!" JJ confirms for him, wiping her hands on the cloth tied around the handle of the oven. All the food was ready, the pumpkin pie cooling in the refrigerator, and the table was set. All she needed to do was go upstairs and get changed. "You need me to set it up?"

"It's okay, mom, I got it!" Henry assures her before ducking into the dining room to fetch his younger brother.

JJ watches with a slight smile on her face, leaning on the countertop with both palms and exhaling shakily, finally letting her mask fall with her children out of the room. Her stomach is in knots, heart racing anxiously and her throat is bone dry.

Her parents rejection of her relationship with Emily had stung, she had to admit. But JJ had, at the very least, expected it. She had figured she would have to give them time to adjust. She was willing to accept that. What she _didn't_ accept was her parents using her _children_ as weapons, insinuating that her relationship was harming the boys in one way or another.

No, she _wouldn't_ accept that.

She hadn't spoken to her parents since last Thanksgiving, had been very hesitant to even let the boys visit them (she made a compromise for the boys to FaceTime them; she felt like she owed it to Michael and Henry to see their grandparents at least).

Her parents (correction, her _father_ ) had called a few weeks ago, asking her if they could come to her house for the holidays. She had nearly laughed in the receiver right then and there, a "go fuck yourself" at the tip of her tongue before her father had apologized for their behavior the year prior. She had completely frozen at this, softening at the familiar, warm tone her father used on her as a child.

A huge part of her, the profiler in her, had been very hesitant, cautious on whether or not to believe him. She's not so easy to forgive and not as easily manipulated. She had analyzed her father's words carefully, running what she had learned when she first took the test to become a profiler in her head for any tells, any verbal ticks that would suggest her father was anything other than honest.

And then there was a part of her, albeit small, that was almost hopeful at her father's words, that they were actually honest. As much as she hated to admit it, she had _missed_ her parents dearly in the time she had stopped talking to them. They were all she had for the longest time after Rosalyn's passing, their bond strengthened by their shared grief of losing someone so close to them. They were all she had left of her.

JJ had finally told her father she'd think about it in a flat tone, then hung up without any chance for him to persuade her.

The guilt ate her up for weeks afterwards. She talked about it with Emily, venting her feelings out about the whole situation, but it did little to help (though the brunette did try very hard to keep her occupied otherwise, even agreeing to keep things civil if her parents did end up coming over). She could hardly concentrate on work and could barely manage to hide her nerves around the boys. She had even begun to pick at her cuticles again, a habit she had left back in the weeks after her abduction and torture.

She had finally caved in and sent her parents a confirmation text, figuring she _at least_ owed it to the boys to see their grandparents again.

(She also made it _explicitly_ clear that Emily would be there at dinner as well. She explained in a lengthy paragraph that while she didn't expect her parents to accept their relationship at this point, she at least expected them to treat her partner with the same amount of respect they would be shown.

The "okay" she had gotten in response hadn't exactly reassured her that things would go over smoothly).

"The boys got Will on the line," Emily starts as she enters the kitchen, glancing back in the living room and jabbing back with her thumb. "I just wanted to make sure they reached him before I..." 

Her gaze softens when it lands on the blonde, whose eyes are brimming with tears when she looks up from the counter. Quickly striding over, Emily takes the younger agent in her arms carefully, comfortingly. "Oh, JJ..." she coos softly, gently stroking the blonde's hair, holding her close as she finally breaks.

"Am I doing the right thing?" JJ asks in a wobbly voice, one of her hands finding Emily's and grasping it like a lifeline. "Did I screw up by believing them?"

"You're doing what you feel is right," Emily says soothingly, pressing a kiss to the blonde's temple.

"But is it _right_?" the blonde stresses quietly, relaxing slightly when the brunette starts to rub circles on her back. "Should I have even bothered to give them a second chance?"

Emily pauses, unsure of how to answer straight away.

"I think... they said a lot of very hurtful things to you," she starts softly. "And I think some of those wounds will take a long time to heal. I think you're being the bigger person by giving them a chance to right some of those wrongs." She shrugs gently, squeezing JJ's fingers. "I know you care about them because they're your parents. You've been close with them your whole life, and I know there's a part of you that wants them to respect your choices. But it doesn't give them the right to say anything hurtful, or to use the boys as leverage to convince you that your choices are wrong. Just because they're your parents doesn't mean you have to respect them if they hurt you like that. You giving them a chance to start making things right again may work out, and it may not."

A small, wry smile. "But I'm always cynical."

She sighs, cupping JJ's cheek with the palm of her free hand. "I can't say exactly how today is going to go. Believe me, if I could tell you, I would. But I can say that no matter what happens, none of it is ever your fault. You're not responsible for their words or actions. That's on them to make the choice to make the steps to make things right again."

JJ leans into the kiss Emily gives her, hand curled against her chest and a soft sigh escaping her lips. "I just want them to see that we're a normal, functioning family," she confesses quietly. "That there's nothing wrong with us."

"I know," Emily murmurs back, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind JJ's ears. "There's nothing wrong with that." She smiles slightly when the blonde turns her head, kissing her palm gently.

"Hey." Blue eyes meet brown.

Emily leans her forehead on the younger woman's. "Don't let them ruin today for you, okay? The boys and I are all here for you and love you no matter what happens." A pause before a small smirk appears on her lips. "And the stellar reviews I've heard on the pumpkin pie tell me that it's simply to die for."

Eyes narrowing playfully, JJ gently brushes a dollop of mashed potatoes from her spatula onto Emily's nose. "What you lack in cooking, you do make up for in baking," she agrees with a genuine smile at the brunette's surprised expression. "Or do I have Nino's to thank for the pie, too?"

Scrunching her nose, Emily reaches for a paper towel and wipes the potato off. "Nope. It's all me," she says with a proud smirk. A small pause, her smirk faltering slightly. "Well, okay, and Alton Brown."

She grins when the younger woman giggles, looping her arms around the blonde's waist. Her face becomes serious, her smile softening slightly as she looks down at the slightly shorter woman. "Hey. I love you, okay? No matter what happens," she swears sincerely.

"I know," JJ murmurs honestly, briefly pulling Emily down for a kiss. "I love you, so much. That's something I'll never regret."

"Me either," the brunette murmurs back with a smile that the younger woman reciprocates immediately. She gently gives her shoulders a squeeze, kissing the side of her head once more before releasing her so she can go upstairs and change.

She takes Emily's advice to heart and doesn't focus on her parents visit at all.

After she's dressed in a darker red sweater and a pair of [Emily's] black pants, she comes back downstairs, ready to have a good time with her family.

After the boys finish their call with Will, they curl up on the couch with Emily and JJ flanking each side of them. They have warmed apple cider in mugs (the adults' spiked with just enough alcohol to completely evaporate   
her nerves). A basket of various pastries that had been dropped off by Ambassador Prentiss a few minutes before the boys ended their call with Will sits on the middle of the coffee table.

[She didn't stay for more than a few minutes and offered the basket as an apology for not being able to stay at the blonde's house for the festivities this year.

"Darn. What a shame," Emily had commented dryly after her mother left as she took the basket inside. But JJ could tell by the look in her eyes that the small gesture, that her acceptance meant a lot to her partner.]

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is on the TV, the boys eagerly pointing out their favorite cartoon character balloons and floats. (JJ's eyes _totally_ narrow when the Daniel Tiger balloon floated on the screen, despite her insistent denial when Henry calls her out on it. Emily hides her amused snicker behind a bite of half a danish she's splitting with Michael, breaking off bite sized pieces for the toddler).

After the parade, the boys, both feeling a bit restless, decide to play around with some toys.

Michael watches his big brother with wide eyed fascination as he grabs a few of his plastic dinosaur toys, re-enacting a battle between a Triceratops and a Velociraptor. After a few nudges of encouragement from Henry, Michael finally picks up a T-Rex and slams it around with various roaring noises. Both boys look at each other and end up laughing happily amongst themselves, immersing themselves in their game once more.

JJ's heart fucking _clenches_ at the sight.

She loves how much Henry takes his role as Michael's big brother seriously, how much he adores his younger brother. She loves that Michael looks up to Henry so much, how attached he is to his big brother. The two are inseparable, best friends despite the seven year age gap between them. It reminds her so much of her childhood with her sister and the bond they shared.

She smiles up at Emily when the older woman squeezes her waist, leaning back against her comfortably. "Did you ever imagine life being like this?" she asks quietly, her eyes never leaving her children.

"Not in a million years," Emily admits just as quietly, smiling at the two boys. "But I know I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

"Me either," JJ confesses, tipping her head up and placing a kiss on the underside of Emily's jaw. Her eyes flit over to the door when she hears a series of knocks coming from behind it.

"I got it," Emily murmurs, squeezing the blonde's shoulders assuringly and planting a kiss on the top of her head before sliding from behind her. She checks the window briefly before gently shooing away Sergio, waving her hand to spook the cat towards the stairs.

The look on her parents' faces when the brunette answers the door has the blonde tensing up slightly; they obviously were expecting JJ to be the one on the other side.

Unperturbed by their expressions Emily smiles warmly. "Mr. and Mrs. Jareau, hi!" She offers her hand out for them politely. "I'm Emily Prentiss. It's so nice to formally meet you."

JJ holds her breath.

Her mother forces a tight smile up at Emily. "Charmed," she says through her teeth.

Her father, forcing a polite smile, does actually take Emily's hand, shaking it once. "Nice to meet you again, Agent."

Emily's smile slightly falters at this, but is back as she steps aside. "Come inside. Dinner's almost ready."

Before Emily can even finish her statement, JJ's mother steps inside and gets greeted with a hug from Henry and Michael. JJ's father forces another smile towards Emily before he, too, comes inside.

The two women share a look, Emily shrugging inconspicuously over at JJ. The younger woman exhales softly, shrugging with a small apologetic smile on her lips. She had honestly expected things to go a lot worse than they just had. Things could only get better from there on surely... right?

Oh, how very, _truly_ wrong she was.

Her parents do their absolute best to pretend as if Emily isn't even there.

When Emily tries to strike up polite conversation with either of the blonde's parents, they talk over her and direct their attention to their daughter, who is just managing to hold herself together for the boys. Her parents talk about their lives and how much they missed the boys, looking past Emily when JJ manages to catch their attention.

Emily finally excuses herself with a polite smile, walking out of the room to set the dining room table.

JJ ends up revisiting several techniques she learned in therapy to calm herself down when the nature of her parents conversation drifts to gossip back at home. She has to remain completely stone faced as her mother not so subtly hints that _several_ of her friends' sons are available. She's slowly counting to 100 under her breath when it's implied that her parents would happily set her up with "one of these fine gentlemen back home".

By the time the food is ready, the tension in the house is so thick, Henry is beginning to sense it. He's stopped smiling when his grandparents talk to him, replying simple answers and squirming uncomfortably in his chair as the conversation from the living room continues. He's pushing around the food on his plate distractedly, hand on his head as he frowns down at what he's doing.

"Can I please be excused?" he asks loudly, interrupting JJ's mother as she raves on and on about the son of their church's minister as her father feeds Michael (a job which he had stolen from Emily, but that she gave up without saying anything; not that Michael was even eating much either with the awkwardness in the room.)

JJ and Emily both look at each other, the blonde frowning guiltily over at her partner— Henry never asks to leave the table. Emily sends her lover a reassuring glance, a silent reminder that none of this was any of the blonde's fault.

She forces a small smile over at her son. "Of course you can, baby," she tells him quietly, sending another look over at Emily, silently begging her to get the kids away.

The older agent clears her throat and dabs her lips with her napkin before standing up. "Okay, baby star, I think we better go see what big bubba's up to, huh?" she coos to Michael, smiling at the toddler when he reaches up for her, babbling for Henry. "Okay, okay, let's go get him," she agrees, picking him up from the chair and walking out of the room.

JJ waits patiently until she hears Emily walk up the stairs, interlocking her hands together and pressing them firmly against her lips. When she hears a door shut, she sighs. "What are you doing?" she asks her parents tiredly.

"What do you mean?" her father asks after he swallows a bite of his food. "We're enjoying the holidays."

"We're doing what's best for you," her mother insists. "Jennifer, we just want you to be happy."

"I am happy," JJ says firmly, resting her clasped hands on the table. "I don't get why that's so hard for you two to understand?"

"You're letting her interact with your kids like she's their mother!" her father says in exasperation. He sighs in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, Jen, it's getting to be a little too much."

"They're not happy!" her mother points out. "Poor Henry was squirming during dinner and didn't even touch his food."

"He was uncomfortable because you were trying to set me up with men I don't know the first thing about," JJ says flatly, sighing long and hard.

There's a long silence between the three, the agent staring at her hands before she finally speaks softly. "Are you guys even going to try and pretend to accept this relationship and respect my partner?"

There's another long pause, neither of her parents going to answer.

Her jaw clenches as she slides back in her chair. She doesn't even feel hurt by their actions at this point. She just feels so tired, so _over_ it. She's done.

So, Fucking. Done.

She sits up in her chair, exhaling slowly as she looks over at her parents. "If you really can't find it in yourselves to accept me, or even respect who I really am then..." She swallows thickly, gesturing slightly with her hands as she shrugs. "Then I don't want you to be a part of my life anymore."

The statement feels so heavy on her tongue, nearly punches a _hole_ through her chest at the sincerity behind her words. But she's so tired of this, of these games that they're playing. They had successfully managed to, not only to ignore Emily, but to spit in her face by talking about potential suitors for JJ right in front of her. They had made no attempts to be even remotely decent towards her, or to their relationship.

How many more chances can she give her parents, only to have them blow it up in her face? Why keep trying if her parents couldn't put in the same effort?Why keep giving them chance after chance if it was obvious they would never change?

She wouldn't deal with it.

She _refuses_ to deal with it.

"You're serious?" her father scoffs in disbelief as her mother gapes her mouth in shock.

Staring straight at them both without her expression faltering, JJ nods. "Yeah. I am."

They both stare at her for a long time before her mother finally stands and leaves the room. The front door of the house slams so loud, JJ swears she can feel the vibrations.

Her father slowly stands, pressing a napkin to his mouth. "We raised you, we gave you everything as you were growing up. You owe us respect," he says firmly.

"Respect goes both ways," JJ simply replies, her voice void of any emotion. "And if you guys can't give me that..." She trails off, leaving the offer she had spoken earlier hanging in the air.

"We're entitled to see our grandkids. You can't keep them from us," he tries again.

JJ has to calm herself down after that, clenching and unclenching her fists on the table because she's so _sick_ of her parents using her children against her. Every statement her parents had made about the boys tonight felt like a slap to the face, each a deeply rooted insult that insinuates she's doing a horrible job as a mother, that the boys are unhappy in any way, shape or form. JJ _knows_ the boys are happy. They had finally begun to really adjust to the divorce and the visitation between her place and Will's. They respected Emily as much as she respects them. JJ never pushed the boys into having any sort of relationship with her partner, it just happened naturally. They care about her. They absolutely _adore_ her.

Her sons are _not_ bargaining chips. They're not leverage to be used against her. They sure as hell aren't entitled to see people who seem to only give a shit about using their existence as proof that JJ is doing wrong.

Well, no more.

She won't stand for that anymore.

Jaw clenched and forcing her tone to be even, the blonde grits out, "I can. I will, especially if it's what's best for them." The glare she sends her father's way after is challenging, almost daring him to question her on that front, if she even _truly_ knows what's best for them.

She _swears_ she'll go absolutely ape shit on him.

Instead, her father stares at her a long time before he follows her mother out the door.

She stares at the opposite wall in the dining room, barely wincing as the door slams and the roaring sound of a car engine zooms down the street. The tension leaves her body like a gust of air, leaving her entire being feeling like it's weighed down with lead. She presses her palms up into her eyes, shoulders slumping forward.

She doesn't even have to question herself if she did the right thing— this time, she knows she did. But it had taken everything out of her, exhausted her to a point where all she wants to do is cry.

She automatically leans into Emily's embrace when she feels her strong arm wrap supportively around her shoulder. She buries her face in the older woman's neck, exhaling shakily when a kiss is pressed to her forehead.

"None of this is your fault," Emily murmurs quietly, gently reminding the blonde.

"I know," JJ murmurs back tiredly, swallowing audibly. Her stomach clenches, eyes widened slightly as she looks up at Emily. "The boys? How are the boys?"

"They're fine," the older woman assures her partner firmly. "I left them up with Sergio when I heard the door slam the first time. They wanted me to make sure you were okay."

Her eyes burn with tears. "I didn't want them to hear that," she says softly. "Any of it. That's why I wanted them away."

"I know," Emily murmurs, pressing another kiss to the blonde's head.

JJ rubs her eyes stubbornly. "Can you go get them for me? Please?"

Understanding that her girlfriend needed her space, Emily nods silently. She gives the blonde's shoulders one more reassuring squeeze before heading up the stairs.

Michael is blissfully unaware of what just happened downstairs, playing with a string toy that Sergio pounces on every now and again. His giggles are enough to bring a small smile to Emily's face as she comes back into the room.

Henry sits on the corner of his bed, frowning down at his hands. He barely looks up at the older woman when she walks over to him.

"They left," she starts off slowly as she sinks down next to him. "Your grandparents."

Henry nods silently, playing with his fingers clasped together in his lap. "Why were they so mean to you and mom? Why were they talking about asking other guys to go on a date with mom? Don't they know she's with you?"

Emily's mouth falls open to talk, but for a while nothing comes out. How does she delicately explain homophobia to a nine year old?

"Some people don't think that relationships between two men or two women should be allowed," she starts carefully.

"Why?" Henry asks, looking up at her with a sad gaze.

Emily clears her throat. "Well... it's something that they don't necessarily understand, and because of that, they think it's wrong."

"Grandma and grandpa think that you and mom dating is wrong?"

Emily grimaces slightly. "I'm afraid so."

Henry frowns deeply. "But _why_? You make mom happy, that can never be wrong, right? You're not replacing dad, right? You take care of us and love us, right? So, how can that be wrong?"

"I don't know why they think it's wrong, _mon bout'chou_. I wish I could answer that." She wraps an arm around the young boy's frame. "You know, from the first date I took your mother on, she made it very clear to me that you two would always be the most important people in her life, and that wouldn't change for anyone. I never once have ever had an issue with that. I knew what I was getting myself into when I asked your mother to be my partner, and I was more than willing to get to know you boys as well as I knew her."

"Did it scare you?"

Emily cracks a smile. "A little bit," she admits. "I know I'm not your dad, and I would never in a million years ever think of replacing him. But I do take care of you boys and love you fiercely. I had never done anything like that before. It scared me to be so involved in your lives so directly, but I have never once regretted it. It's never felt wrong to me."

"Me either," Henry confesses softly, leaning into her.

She kisses the top of his head. "The one thing I will never regret is loving you, your brother, or your mother. You three are undoubtedly the most important people in my life, and I would never trade that for anything. No matter what anyone else says, all that matters is that we know what we're doing works for us, right?"

"Right," Henry agrees with a small smile, wrapping his arms around Emily's frame. "I'm glad you're a part of our lives, Emily."

Swallowing back tears, Emily smiles warmly down at the young boy. "I'm glad you three are a part of mine," she replies, kissing his forehead. She ruffles his hair lovingly as he stands up, letting him go ahead of her down the stairs towards JJ. She easily scoops up Michael, giving him a kiss as she descends the staircase.

Henry and JJ are on the couch, the blonde talking to her son in a quiet voice. The young boy nods at random intervals at what she's saying, Emily just catching an, "I know, momma," from Henry near the end of the blonde's statement. Carefully, the brunette hands Michael over to the younger woman, who takes him with a small, grateful smile.

Emily heads off to the kitchen after planting a kiss on the top of their heads, giving them their privacy. She just manages to see JJ envelope the boys in a hug that lasts for a while, even as Emily comes back in the living room.

Wordlessly, she holds up the tin of pumpkin pie, four plastic forks, a can of whipped cream and the remote.

JJ cracks a smile up at her girlfriend, moving over on the couch and allowing Emily to sit beside her, each woman taking one of the boys on their laps. Using the remote and without double checking, the brunette puts on Zootopia, easily the blonde's favorite Disney movie.

After swirling on a generous dollop of whipped cream on top of the pie, Emily not so subtly squirts a dollop in her mouth, grinning when Henry asks for one too. This causes a small, chaotic scene of whipped cream ending up on noses and faces, but ends in the four all laughing happily on the couch.

An hour later, the nearly empty can of whipped cream sits on the table with the half empty tin of pie, the four forks stacked on the empty end. Henry is sprawled out across JJ's and Emily's lap, his hair messily sprawled out on the couch and mouth open as he releases tiny snores. Michael lays comfortably in JJ's arms, his head on her shoulder as he sleeps. Emily's arm is firmly around her waist, tracing random shapes on her side comfortingly.

"Hey?"

JJ raises her head, humming in acknowledgment.

"You okay?"

"Not exactly," JJ admits softly with a careful shrug. "But I do feel better. I know I did the right thing this time, even if it was hard. I'll be okay."

Emily squeezes her side gently in encouragement. "I'm proud of you. We're all here for you," she reminds the younger agent. "No matter what happens."

A small smile forms on the blonde's face. "I know." A pause. "I love you."

"I love you too," Emily replies softly, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Come on, let's get these boys into some pjs and get some sleep."

Even though JJ had felt she had done quite possibly the hardest thing she's ever had to do, and even though it hurt her deeply to do so, she feels hopeful for the first time in a long time. Curling up beside Emily and the boys in bed, she's once again affirmed to herself that she's made the right decision.

She knows it will take time, but is convinced that together they will all heal and become even stronger as a family.  
  



	3. I've Picked a Great Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh I have no excuses for this being late other than it wasn't written before i posted this whole story so I'm v sorry about that!! (every chapter for mess we made is written, i'm just waiting to post those :) thank u for reading my shit (even if some stuff I write isn't realistic but I try god dammit) and liking it/leaving kudos/commenting it means a lot

The weeks after that second Thanksgiving with her boys and Emily seemed to go back to normal for JJ.

She still goes to work, she still works on cases and types up reports, clocks in at 9 and clocks out at 5.

She still takes care of the kids when she has them, still cooks them dinner, helps them with homework, helps them get ready for bed and for school in the morning, and drives them to practices. She still makes time with her girlfriend, who is over at her house nearly every other day and is an _absolute_ God send when it comes to helping Henry with his math homework.

If there's one thing Jennifer Jareau does not do, it's _fractions._

(She's sure there's some joke Penelope has in her arsenal involving gays and the amount of braincells the couple share to deal with even the basic of third grade equations, but she'll wear her "useless bisexual" badge with pride.)

When she and Emily don't have the boys, they make time for the activities that they don't normally get to do when the boys are there. It's innocent fun, like puzzles or board games in their spare time, "adult movie nights" with movies such as Deadpool (Emily's favorite, because, duh, why wouldn't it be) or classic thrillers and horror movies, and even going out to local eateries for dates.

She still even manages to balance her social life, hanging out with her colleagues, her _friends_ , outside of work with the occasional girl's night and the monthly team get together at Rossi's place.

The whole Thanksgiving ordeal almost fades from her memory, though there are times when she does really miss her parents. Her mother used to call her every Tuesday to check up on her, to make sure her life is going okay and that the boys are doing well. Her father, while not the most tech savvy, would make an effort to set up a video chat with her (and the boys, if they were hers for that specific week) during the weekends. But she manages it, buckles down and goes about life like it's normal.

Until she gets a call from her father on Christmas.

The boys had just been dropped off at Will's after a night of early Christmas presents at her house, so of course she's feeling a bit down about it. But Emily is right there with her, and they had just gotten off a nearly two hour long video chat with the boys. JJ finds herself comforted by the fact that she at least got to see her children and that she's not spending her holidays alone.

She's cuddled on the couch with Emily watching a recording of the movie _Elf_ on ABC because the brunette had confessed weeks before during "girls night" that she had never seen the movie. Of course, JJ took it upon herself to educate her girlfriend on one of the best Christmas movies out there.

She has her head tucked under Emily's chin, content at the warmth the older woman provides, at the soothing movements her fingers make at her side. They both are covered with a heavy blanket, Sergio planked out across both their laps, his arms and legs out straight as he purrs softly. In their hands are steaming mugs of warmed egg nog topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

She's so relaxed, in fact, that when he phone rings on the table, she doesn't bother to check the caller ID as she normally would. She lets it ring a few seconds as she stretches slightly in Emily's hold, setting her mug down. Loosening her hold on the younger woman's waist slightly, the brunette lifts her head so that JJ can lounge her head back against a firm shoulder.

"Jareau," JJ answers quietly, tucking herself back up against Emily's side, rubbing her leg absentmindedly as the older agent's eyes flick back towards the television.

"We can't do it," the familiar, gruff voice of her father sounds through the receiver. "We tried to really look past this and try to accept this but... We can't, Jennifer."

Jaw clenched and body tense, the blonde stares at the TV without really taking in any information. Emily's fingers have stilled at her side. The younger agent can feel her concerned gaze, feel her own muscles tense as hers do.

How heartless did they have to be to do this a few days before Christmas? When they know she's already low because she knows they know that she doesn't have the boys?

Emotionless, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing that, no matter how much she won't admit it, that this call _hurts_ , she asks, "Is that all?"

Seeming taken aback slightly by her blunt reply, her father merely grunts in response.

She hangs up after that, tossing her phone to the side and effectively silencing whatever pitiful attempts of civil conversation were going to be made to end the call.

"I have half the mind to..." the older agent starts lowly, beautiful features laced with fury before JJ shakes her head, cutting her off.

"Honestly, it's not even worth it anymore," she admits. "I'm done."

Emily's eyes soften, but a frown remains, lips turned down. She knows that the call was no accident, that it was a final attempt to make JJ feel as if she's made the wrong choices in life. A final attempt to really get under her skin. "Jen..."

"I'll be okay," JJ insists quietly, reaching up to peck her girlfriend's cheek before cuddling back into her. "I'm not giving them the satisfaction of ruining our night."

Sensing a bit more apprehension in her partner, JJ places a kiss in the crook of her neck. "Em, I promise, it's not even worth it to be upset. I just want to sit here and watch a goofy Christmas movie with you and our third child." She manages to crack a smile when Sergio meows slightly. "Yeah, I'm talking about you," she coos to the cat, stroking behind his ears.

Relenting with a soft kiss to the side of the blonde's head, Emily briefly smiles. "Okay, we won't let them ruin this," she confirms with a soft sigh. She relaxes when JJ presses her lips firmly to hers, finally relenting and wrapping an arm around her waist. "I love you," she reminds the blonde softly.

"I love you. So much," JJ replies genuinely, reaching over and grabbing her mug of egg nog before twining her legs with Emily's. It's much easier to focus on the ridiculous antics Buddy the Elf gets up to, on her girlfriend's arms wrapped so tightly around her, than she had ever anticipated. In just under a half hour, she completely dismisses the entire conversation with her father from her mind.

Unfortunately, the blissful bubble she's trapped herself in doesn't last forever.

She _missed_ her parents most days, absolutely _loathes_ to admit it to herself, but can't help it. They had raised her, had loved her for a long time. Even if she had outgrown the need for her parents to provide for her well in her teenage years, she still loved how close their bond was. When she had moved closer to DC, she hadn't nearly been in contact with them as much as she usually was. But a simple phone call at least once a week, or the convenience of a three hour drive to and from the small town she used to call home was enough to quell her homesickness.She would be downright _lying_ if she said the transition from constantly being in their lives to suddenly cutting herself off from them wasn't incredibly difficult.

Of _course_ Emily is always there for her when she's at her lowest, is incredibly receptive and understanding of her emotions as she always is. She's always there to distract JJ, or to let her vent, or to let her cry her frustrations out. She constantly tells JJ how proud she is of her, how brave she is for sticking up for herself, sometimes just holds her in her arms when her words don't hit. She's patient with JJ, is with her at _every single step_ of her healing process.

JJ can't believe she got so lucky to have such a wonderful partner like Emily.

It's even more heartwarming to have the endless support of the rest of the BAU team behind her. 

Spence and Penelope are fiercely supportive of her from the very beginning. There was never any doubts JJ had about them; she knew that no matter what she did in life, she would _always_ bet on them to have her back.

It was Penelope that had set her and Emily up to begin with, had taken them to their first ever pride fest, their first gay bar, and had completely immersed them into a community that never once had judged them and that welcomed the two with open arms. Even now, hanging up proudly on display in JJ's living room is a 5x8 bisexual pride flag Penelope had gifted her for Christmas.

Spence had _always_ had such an open mind. He didn't have the capacity for petty judgement on anyone's life regarding such menial things like who someone dated, or gender identity. It was no surprise that he went about treating the two women as if nothing had changed when the two agents had told them about the nature of their relationship. It was so simple _, so like Reid_ that it was incredibly endearing and sweet.

Once in a blue moon, Matt will invite the two women to hang out with him and his wife. The four get along incredibly well, which surprised JJ the first time she and Emily had tagged along for one of these outings. She had only been on two "double dates" (because, really, that's what they were) in her life.

Once, Will had convinced her to join him to meet up with a few guys from his precinct and their wives. While Will seemed to have enjoy himself, JJ found herself incredibly isolated from everyone. Will's friends all had horrible cases of "alpha dog syndrome" and seemed to treat their wives as trophies. The most grating thing to her was that the women didn't mind being paraded around and constantly swooned over the _smallest_ things their husbands did for them. Several times during the night, she had wanted to slam her head against the table. Especially if she heard the high pitched laughter from the women, or the condescending tone of the three pricks across the table when they talked to her _one more time._

Needless to say, that night had ended with her going home with a horrible migraine.

The second time she and Will had gone to a local bar to hang out with Kate Callahan and her husband. JJ had been looking forward to it; she and Kate were almost attached at the hip immediately and had a lot in common. The thought of their husbands becoming friends, while sort of childish, was exciting enough for both women to convince the men to try. Unfortunately for them, Will and Kate's husband had absolutely nothing in common and had stopped attempting to make friends ten minutes within arriving at the bar.

She and Kate had gone to Garcia's after that.

Matt and his wife had an easy, quick connection with JJ and Emily almost instantly. It helped that Matt knew them both, but also how genuinely nice and warm the married couple were towards the women.

And, well, it helps that Matt's wife and JJ make an absolute kick ass duo when they team up against their partners in whatever bar sports they end up playing. The nights the pairs spend together were easily some of the blonde's favorites. Comforting, in a way. It was _normal_ , and that's what felt so good about them.

Tara is explicitly vocal about her support of the two. She's the one that wards off any homophobic comments they might hear on a night out, defends them when their relationship comes up as a possible issue at the office (not from an internal source, of _course_ ). In fact, the blonde is certain if Tara hadn't build such an outstanding rapport with the section chief, if she wasn't so adamant that the team worked just fine knowing the nature of the two women's relationship, JJ and Emily would have lost their jobs.

They ended up relatively unaffected and were only told to take a few days off as a reprimand for breaking the anti-fraternization rules.

During one girl's night, she and JJ had been in charged of grabbing more wine from Emily's cabinet. The alcohol in JJ's system, while not enough for her to be drunk, had loosened her tongue and lowered her inhibitions. She ends up breaking down to Tara, telling the older woman about her parents. It hurts her chest to talk about them, nearly makes her cry, but Tara listens, offering her support by silently laying a hand assuringly against JJ's shoulder.

"You know, you haven't changed," Tara had told her after her rant, grabbing a bottle down from the shelf. "Being gay doesn't change who you are as a person. You're still the same JJ." She pauses. "Well, you're happier. Anyone can see that. If they can't accept that being who you truly are and being with someone who makes you happy is really who you are, then they don't deserve you."

JJ had given the older woman a tight, grateful hug without any hesitation. It's the same mindset she's had throughout the whole process, the same thing Emily reassures her, but hearing someone not directly involved in their situation say those same words only validates her even more. It's incredibly reassuring to know that more people have her back.

Luke's support comes unexpectedly.

She's on the jet, curled up in a seat and reading under the dim overhead light that shines down from above the window. Across from her and down a few feet sits Rossi, Luke, Matt, Reid and Tara at the table, heavily invested in a card game that Reid must have roped them into playing. Further down, Emily lays on the couch covered in a thin blanket, completely passed out from the exhaustion of dealing with the case that the media and local police department only made more difficult. JJ peers over at her periodically to check on her, relieved that her girlfriend is finally getting the rest she needs.

She doesn't even see Luke come over until she looks back up again to check on Emily. He looks slightly nervous, but determined.

She places a finger in her book to hold her place, offering the man a soft smile, hoping that would calm him nerves. "Hey, what's up?"

She's not close with Luke, not really anyways. She certainly isn't bonded to him the way Emily is. He's a type of high energy person JJ can't ever really keep up with, hard around the edges with a sense of humor that can get a bit dark at times. They have about as much in common as water and oil. He's playful in a way Derek Morgan was, but JJ never really bonded to Luke the same way she bonded with Morgan.

She does considers him a friend. After all, he did come with Emily to help find her after that Thanksgiving she had with her parents and when she takes her sons along to team barbecues, they seem to get along with Luke the most (besides their godparents and Rossi, of course).

"You mind if I sit?" he asks, gesturing to the seat across from her, seemingly unaffected by her attempts to calm him. There's hesitation in his tone and he keeps fidgeting with his watch on his wrist. The look in his eyes makes the blonde figure whatever he wants to talk about is serious.

JJ clears her throat quietly and nods wordlessly, shoving a bookmark into place and setting her book down on the table. She swings her legs over the side of her chair, sitting them under the table and crossing her ankles. She wants to pry, wants to know why the younger man is so nervous but waits patiently for him to start.

Luke folds his hands together on top of the table. He can't bring himself to look up at her as he starts. "I grew as the youngest in a house with two older brothers. But it was never really as it sounds. I was the youngest, but I..." He pauses briefly, finally lifting his eyes to her's. "I was the only girl. I was my parent's little princess and my brothers protected me from everything." His voice is strong when he tells her this, all traces of the nerves he had earlier missing.

He runs a hand through his hair with a frown. "They didn't take the news so well when I told them that I never _felt_ right as a girl. I never felt like their daughter, but I've always felt more like their third _son_." His eyes flash briefly with pain. "My dad still won't talk to me. My my mom still dead names me sometimes. But I've always had the support of my brothers."

He quickly backpedals when she stares at him with a softened gaze. "I'm not telling you this to get sympathy or to validate myself. I've been out since I was 15. I know who I am. I'm comfortable and I'm proud of it."

His eyes drop from hers again, fidgeting with his watch once more, nervously frowning down at the gadget. "It's just... I know what it's like. To have parents who don't accept you for who you are. And um..." He clears his throat. "If you ever feel like you need to talk to someone that gets it, I'm here to listen."

"Luke."

He looks up at her.

"Thank you," she murmurs genuinely, completely surprised by the man's offer. "Really. It means a lot."

"I'm sorry you're going through it," he confesses with a frown. "I know how much it hurts. I just... want you to know that you're not alone." He holds his palms up defensively. "I'm sure Emily, Spencer and Penelope help you, you know? But they just... don't get it. It's hard to not have someone around who does."

She swallows thickly, eyes welling with tears. She reaches over and gives his hand an appreciative squeeze. He smiles over at her, finally relaxing when she reciprocates. He gives her hand a parting squeeze, silently reminding her of his support before he joins the other agents in the card game. Reid says something that makes him laugh as he takes his respected seat beside Rossi, shaking his head over at the youngest member of the team.

JJ folds herself back into her seat and picks up where she left off in her book. She looks up and smiles when Emily sits beside her with the blanket from the couch. She relaxes when the older woman curls up into her, wrapping an arm around her waist before she immerses herself back into the book.

The weekend of the Fourth of July is the first time she doesn't think of her parents at all.

Emily had reached out to her mother, who had given her access to a remote cabin for the week, which JJ couldn't have been more grateful for. She and Emily had spent the holiday at home last year. Despite the brunette's efforts to keep her distracted, JJ ended up curled at her girlfriend's side all night because the fireworks booming from outside had triggered her PTSD and sent her into one of the worst episodes she had in a while.

She's only glad the kids were at Will's when that happened. She hated when they saw her fall apart.

There was a significant distance between people out in the countryside, the nearest neighbor being about a half hour drive down the road. If they set off anything, JJ was assured that it wouldn't completely set her off. With the distraction of her boys, a jacuzzi tub just outside on the deck that peers out from the master bedroom, and the massive in ground pool that had been well maintained throughout the years, JJ's fairly confident she'll manage just fine.

With no cases needing their immediate attention, the unit chief had invited everyone else on the team to join them for the celebrations (only needing a _tiny_ bit of persuasion from the blonde). It was massive enough to accompany each agent and any family members that they brought along easily (even then, only Rossi brings his wife and Matt brings his wife and their kids). This was also exciting for Michael and Henry, who were close enough in age to Matt's children that friendships and playmates formed without trouble.

It's a hot, bright sunny day on the 4th, most of the kids in the pool while the grown members of the team are scattered about. Matt's kids have somehow roped him and his wife into playing a game of water basketball in the shallows. Henry is off with their oldest and Garcia, walking along the edge of the property to follow a box turtle that's made his home in the garden. Tara sits at the deeper end of the pool on a float, soaking up the sun. Rossi and his wife are shielded from the protection of the harsh rays under an awning near the back sliding glass door, watching the chaos unfold from a distance. Luke is at the grill, cooking up burgers and veggie kabobs (for Garcia and Henry, who had recently been going through a vegetarian phase). Despite Emily's insistence that no one had to cook for the weekend, Luke wouldn't be persuaded from having a cookout. It was "tradition" and he insisted.

She had left him to it.

JJ sits at the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water, smile on her face as she watches Emily with Michael in the pool. The toddler had on a pair of floaties (curtesy of Garcia, who had stocked more than enough pool floats, toys, arm floats and pool noodles for the band of children) but clung tightly to Emily as she gently guides him around the water. The small, excited smile on his face, the giggles he lets out and the genuine caring look in Emily's eyes warms JJ's heart.

She brings the cup full of whatever fruity, alcoholic concoction Penelope had whipped up for the day to her lips to stifle a giggle when a stream of water directly hits Emily in the back of the head.

Reid just grins at the older woman when she turns around, a water blaster gun floating on top of the water right in front of the genius. Emily narrows her eyes and glares playfully at the youngest member of the team, a promise that he would definitely get his ass walloped when she didn't have Michael to hold onto.

He shoots another stream of water in her face as a response.

Emily sputters for a moment, wiping her face off with a wet hand. She goes to glare at Reid again when Michael's loud giggle stops her in her tracks. She narrows her eyes at the toddler instead, poking his stomach playfully. "Oh so, you think this is funny, huh wise guy?" Michael giggles and nods, hiding his mouth behind his tiny hands. The brunette scoops the toddler from the water, tickling his sides gently.

His joyous, shrieking laughter is possibly the best sound on earth to JJ.

"Don't you even think about it, Spencer," she hears Tara warn Reid, causing her to smirk over in their direction.

Reid pouts for a second before aiming the green tube over in JJ's direction. She raises an eyebrow at him, silently daring him to do it. "Emily might be too chicken to do it, but I won't hesitate to come in there and kick your ass, Spence," she jokes. She grins at her girlfriend when she protests with a, "Hey!"

The stream of water hits her on the side of her neck, causing her to jump and yelp in surprise. She turns towards the man, mouth open in shock. Reid just smiles back at her innocently.

With the silent challenge being thrown her way, she sets her cup down beside her. She determinedly scans the water until she happens upon a blue water blaster floating just in arms reach. She grabs it and pumps the back quickly, aiming it over at the young man. She starts when she sees Reid holding Michael in his arms.

She barely has time to react before she's being grabbed by her ankles and dragged into the water.

She pops her head from the water, smoothing the wet golden curtain of hair back with her hands. She focuses her glare on her smug girlfriend, though she can make out Michael and Reid laughing at her in the back, swears she hears Tara stifle her own fit of laughter.

Her eyes narrow at Emily. "Are you proud of yourself for that one?"

Emily beams in response, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Very."

Whatever attempts JJ was going to make at being mad completely dissolve when the older woman leans down and gives her a soft kiss. "Guess I'll forgive you," she scowls playfully, turning in the brunette's arms just in time to see Michael use the blue blaster to spray water right into Reid's face.

"Got you, Uncle Spence!" he cries out triumphantly with a giggle, paddling the few feet of space into his mother's arms. He grins as both Emily and JJ laugh, wrappings his small arms around the blonde's neck.

Reid shakes his limp, wet curls out like a dog, wiping his face with both hands. "Okay, I deserved that one."

"You're damn right you did!" Tara calls out to him with a grin.

The night is just as enjoyable, albeit more peaceful. Reid and Luke have a majority of the children out past the pool with sparklers and Morning glories. Matt's youngest and Michael are particularly blown away when Reid shows them how to draw shapes and even write their names with the tiny, sparking sticks.

Everyone else is mostly gathered by a fire pit Garcia had found earlier in the day, sitting together with various alcoholic beverages and laughing at stories being told.

JJ is just a few feet away from everyone, catching a firefly above her head in her cupped hands. She brings it down carefully for Henry to observe: they don't see them in the city. Fascinated, her oldest cautiously holds out his hand for the tiny creature. She has the faintest of smiles on her face as she transfers the bug carefully from her hands to her son's. He eagerly, but _very_ cautiously runs off to show Michael and Reid the glowing beetle.

She sits back in the grass, watching her kids with a warm, content smile on her face. She glances up over at Rossi, giving him a polite smile when he comes by and crouches down next to her. They both sit in silence for a few minutes, the sounds of cicadas, happy, excited voices of children and genuine laughter from her friends all mingling together. It's nice.

"In all the years I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you quite this happy," Rossi says finally, looking over at her with a warm smile.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy," she confesses softly, honestly. "Not in a very long time, at least."

He finally sits down on the ground next to her. "You know, I've watched you grow so much over the years. You've really come into your own, not just in the unit, but as a mother, as an individual. I realized that I've never once said how proud I am of you and the person you've become."

Her throat constricts at the weight his words hold, at the sincerity in his tone. She swallows audibly, nearly tearing up when she looks back over at the man. "Thank you," she chokes out.

"What for?"

"For being you," she replies thickly. "For... always being there for everyone on the team, for supporting us no matter what we do and not judging us for it, for caring."

He glances back behind him before he looks out at everyone in the backyard. "It's what we do," he finally says. "We're a family."

"It still means a lot," she insists firmly, shaking her head slightly. "Really."

He smiles over at her, pulling her into a side hug that she absolutely melts into. It's such a _fatherly_ gesture, something she hadn't realized how much she missed until now. She leans her head briefly on his shoulder, closing her eyes when he rubs her arm comfortingly.

"It's not always blood relations that make families. Sometimes the people you choose to have in your life make for best families out there," he says as he pulls away from her, pushing himself up on one knee.

"I think I chose the best people out there," she admits as she looks around between the two groups. She feels nothing but love and appreciation coil in the pit of her stomach, especially when her eyes land on her sons and Emily.

"I think you did, too," he agrees, patting her shoulder before walking back to the group by the fire pit.

It only takes Emily a few seconds later to come up and sit quietly by her side. The older woman leans her head on the blonde's shoulder, taking one hand in hers and interlocking their fingers before gently falling back into the grass with her. Their eyes immediately go towards the sky littered with stars and blinking fireflies, a bright full moon shining just overhead.

Emily gently nudges JJ's shoulder and points out a tiny reddish pink dot that stands out among everything else. Mars.

JJ's eyes scan the stars, pointing out Orion's belt in response (though, it's not nearly as cool as Mars, she admits to herself). But it's the only constellation she remembers from the old grey star lab tent that her science class went to a few times. Besides, Emily seems to find it fascinating, and really it's just a bonus because she's having a great time stargazing with her girlfriend.

"Bet you Spencer knows every single one of those," Emily murmurs to her, eyes up at the sky.

"He _definitely_ knows," JJ agrees with a breathless chuckle. "He probably knows what stars make them up, too."

The older woman pauses for a moment, considering. "Probably," she agrees, finally looking over at the blonde. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just... really happy," JJ admits honestly. "I'm really glad we decided to do this with the team. It's been really fun to spend time with them, with you and the kids like this."

Emily presses a kiss against her temple. "I'm glad we did, too." She sits up, gently pulling JJ up with her. "You wanna go play with some sparklers?"

"Didn't Penelope buy them for the kids?" JJ teases lightly.

"Bold of you to assume I didn't stockpile an entire box full before she and Luke bought out a store's entire display." She playfully nudges the blonde's side with a smirk. "There's ones that spark blue," she adds persuasively.

"Okay," JJ agrees with a grin. She stands, pulling Emily up with her. She plants a kiss on her lips. While it's brief, she conveys everything she feels for this woman in the kiss: passion, adoration, _love._

A silent "thank you" for always being there for her in her darkest times.

She pulls away with a grin, heart fluttering when Emily's eyes meet hers. She squeezes the brunette's fingers. "Come on, let's go light up some of those blue sparklers."

Emily brings their hands up to her lips, kissing the back of JJ's with a loving smile. "Let's."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh anyway I have other stories in my drafts ready to be written up but if you ever have a prompt for me to write hmu in the comments or on tumblr UwU (@ beware-of-you-98) i'll write anything as long as there's women loving women


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